Despite 11 hits and no errors, the Horned Frogs baseball team was not able to overcome an early five-run deficit, falling to the Cal State Fullerton Titans 11-5 Friday night at Lupton Stadium.

Ten of the 11 Titan runs scored with two outs, which head coach Jim Schlossnagle called “the difference in the game.”

Schlossnagle said stronger pitching is the key to avoiding two-out outbursts.

“We just have to make better pitches,” Schlossnagle said. “We didn’t pitch very well with two outs, and they did a good job of hitting with two outs.”

In the fourth inning with the score 4-0 Titans, center fielder Clint Arnold and second baseman Ben Carruthers both singled to start the inning and then advanced on a balk by Titans starter Jeff Kaplan, who was credited with the victory. Following a strike out, Arnold crossed the plate on a groundout to third by third baseman Matt Carpenter.

Two innings later, ow down 8-1, Arnold reached base on an error followed by another Carruthers single. First baseman Matt Vern’s double scored Arnold. Carruthers scored on a Carpenter flyout.

Carruthers, who went 3-for-5 also singled in the seventh, another two-run inning for the Frogs, thanks to five hits.

Carruthers said he was pleased with his approach at the plate.

“They threw a lot of first pitch fastballs,” Carruthers said. “I was trying to be aggressive, jump out and get a good pitch to hit.”

The series continues Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.